Snap-switch terminal



may 5, 1925 7 1,536,441

H. E. LEPPERT SNAP SWITCH TERMINAL FiledJail. 8, 1921 gvwe/ntoz Patented May 5, 1 925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY E. LEPI'ERT, OF NEW BRITAIN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE TRUMBULL ELECTRIC MFG. COMPANY, OF PLAINVIILE, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY E. LEPPERT, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at New Brita n, Hartford County, Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Snap-Switch Terminal, of which the following is a specification.

The main Object of my invention is to provide a simple, reliable, and inexpensive form of construction which will serve not only i as a means for connecting the circuit wire,

but also as a switch contact, and in whichthe parts are so constructed that they may be assembled to constitute either a high or low type of contact.

Biiefly stated, the invention cons'sts in providing a post which is adapted to be secured to the switch base and which carries a binding screw, and providing a contact 29 which is reversible an adapted to.be secured to the post in either of two positions.

Figure 1 is a side view and partial section of the base of a snap switch showing three terminals embodying my invention, the right and left hand terminals having the contacts in the high positioh, and the other. terminal having the contact in the low position.

Fi 2 is a plan and section of the center terminal on the plane. of the line 2-2 of- Fig. 1. y I

Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing the two parts of the terminal separately.

Fig. 4 is a vertical projection of a modified construction.

Fi 5 is a vertical section on the plane of the line 55 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a plan view and section of an- 1 other form of construct-ion. 9 Snap switches of this type usually have insulating bases such as 6 to which the terminals and operating mechanism are secured.

According to my invention, the terminal consists of two parts, one of which may be termed the post or body portion, and the other of which may be termed the contact portion, and both portions are intended to be stamped or formed from sheet metal. The body portion has abase 7 withone or more screw seats 8, an upright or post 9 carrying a binding screw 10 and lugs or ears 11 on opposite sides of the head of the binding screw. The contact member has a contact SNAP-SWITCH TERMINAL.

Application filed l'annary 8, 1921. Serial No. 435,810.

arm 12 which extends at substantially right angles to its base 13. I provide a rivet for securing the base of the contact member to the post of the body member. Preferably this rivet is tubular'in form and integral with one of the elements. In this case, the rivet.

portion 14 is formed integrally from the base of the contact member and is adapted to project through a hole 15in the post of the body member and to be riveted over as indicated in Figs. 1 and 2. This rivet may be sufficiently strong to hold the parts in a fixed relation, but I prefer to provide projections such as 16 which are located laterally of the rivet 14 and adapted to engage the post 9. In the form shown in Fig. 3, the edges of the post are notched at 17 to receive the projecting lug 16 so as to make a neat flush connection and holds the parts more securely in their proper relation.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that the main body or post member can be formed of one kind of metal and the contact member ofanother kind of metal, or the contact member'may be formed of a metal'of difi'erentthickness. These advantages result from the formation ofthe terminal in two parts as distinguished from integrality. The construction also permits the contact member to be assembled on the post member with the contact arm in the high or low position as shown in Fig. 1. In other words, the contact member is reversible. This makes it possible for the manufacturer to make up the post and contact parts separately in quantities, and then assemble them in either the high or low relation as the case ma. require. This requires. therefore only a s1ngle set of simple dies for each part.

In the form shown in Fig. 4, the tubular portion 14' is provided with offsets-16' which fit into offset recesses 17' to prevent the contact member from rotating.

In the form shown in Fig. 5, the contact member has both upper and lower arms 12" so that this member may be termed a double contact member which form of contact is required in some switches of this class In the form shown in Fig. 6 the post 9" and the contact base 13 areheld together partly by the tubular rivet 14" and partly by the projections 16", which also extend outwardly to form suitable wire-hold ng lugs at thesides of the head of the binding screw 10. The shank of the screw in this case passes through the tubular rivet member 14.

I I claim 1. A- snap switch terminal comprising asupported by one of said members with its head between said lugs.

2. A two-part snap switch terminal, coinprisin a post member having a base extending su stantially at right angles thereto, a separately formed reversible contact member having a contact arm and a base, one of said members having a single rivet formed integrally therewith and passing into the other member and securing said member to the other member, and interlocking means integral with said members for preventing rotation of said members with relation to each other.

spaced apart supporting feet, a contact memher having a contact arm and a base adapted to fit against the body of said post member, one of said members having a centrally arranged opening and the other member having a single rivet integral with it secured in said opening and one of said members having a lug integral with it projecting from one edge and overlapping an adjacent edge of the other member for preventing relative rotation of said members and a binding screw passing through one of said members.

4. A snap switch terminal comprising a post member, a contact member, one of said members having projections extending beyorid the edges of the other member to form wire-holding lugs and one of said members having a tubular projection extending through the other member, and a binding screw seated insaid tubular projection with its head between said lugs.

, HENRY E. EEPPERT. 

